Japan to Deploy Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missiles Targeting Chinese Aircraft Carriers by 2028

Reduction of Operational Range of Chinese Aircraft Carrier in the South China Sea
China Closely Monitors Japan's Hypersonic Missile Development

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Young-shin] The Japanese government is accelerating the development of supersonic anti-ship missiles, according to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on the 29th (local time). The newspaper added that Japan aims to deploy supersonic missiles in actual combat by 2026.

SCMP predicted that the supersonic missiles will be used for the defense of the Diaoyudao (Japanese name Senkaku) Islands, which are disputed with China. The newspaper also reported that Japan plans to deploy an upgraded version of the supersonic missile in 2028, which is expected to be equipped with warheads capable of attacking aircraft carriers.

If Japan succeeds in developing the missile, it will become the fourth country in the world to possess supersonic missiles, following the United States, China, and Russia. The missile's speed is Mach 5, which translates to 6,120 km per hour. This means it can reach targets within 500 km in under 5 minutes after launch.

SCMP expects that Japan will limit the range of the supersonic missile under development to within 500 km to comply with the "exclusive defense principle," which stipulates that Japan only possesses defensive weapons. Although developed for the defense of remote islands far from the Japanese mainland, the upgraded version is equipped with offensive capabilities, which has led China to closely monitor Japan's supersonic missile development. A missile traveling at Mach 5 attacking an aircraft carrier is difficult to defend against. SCMP explained that this could restrict the operational range of Chinese aircraft carriers in the South China Sea.

SCMP added that Japan has spent $172 million (approximately 200 billion KRW) on supersonic missile development and plans to allocate an additional $233 million budget this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.